Abstract
This study investigated antecedents of volunteering from a socialization perspective. Although earlier research on determinants of volunteering among the Japanese people has focused on the relationship between individual attributes and participation, it has not considered the influence of the social environment in the past on volunteering which it is done today. Therefore, the author studied the influence of socialization factors such as role models of children and schooling, on present-day volunteering and the attitude and behavior of respondents towards mediation, by using survey data from a representative sample of Japanese nationals. The main results of the study are: 1) those who have been in touch with neighbors who helped others in their childhood are likely to trust and empathize with people in their present-day lives, and thereby tend to participate in volunteering activities; 2) people whose mothers have participated in religious functions during their infancy are currently likely to attend religious services, and consequently tend to volunteer. The above suggests that the volunteering behavior of the Japanese people is linked to what they have learned from “a kind neighbor” and “a religious mother” in their childhood.
